Meskwaki Natural Resources

06/08/2026

What are wetlands and why are they important?

Wetlands are areas where water is present at or near the soil surface for all or part of the year. Examples include marshes, swamps, bogs, and wet meadows. They are often overlooked, wetlands are among the most productive and valuable ecosystems in the world.

Wetlands play a critical role in maintaining water quality by naturally filtering sediment, nutrients and pollutants before they enter rivers, streams, and groundwater systems. They also help reduce flooding by storing excess water during periods of heavy rainfall and slowly releasing it over time.

In addition, wetlands provide essential habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including migratory birds, fish, amphibians, and pollinators. Many species rely on wetlands for feeding, breeding, and shelter throughout their life cycles.

Wetlands also contribute to climate resilience by capturing and storing carbon in their soils and vegetation with helping to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Protecting and restoring wetlands benefits both wildlife and people by supporting clean water, reducing flood risks, and maintaining healthy ecosystems for future generations!

06/07/2026

**Indicator to healthy waterway**

Healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands support strong fish populations, which provide the food some birds need. The osprey is a large bird of prey that relies almost entirely on fish for food making them closely connected to the health of aquatic ecosystems. Because they feed at the top of the food chain, ospreys can serve as indicators of water quality and overall ecosystem health.

The recovery of ospreys in many areas is a conservation success story that reflects improvements in environmental protection and water resource management. By protecting water quality and aquatic habitat, we help ensure that ospreys and countless other species continue to thrive.

Wells Fargo in West Des Moines has maintained a nest camera over an osprey nest platform for the past 7 years! With June being the beginning of nesting season for the species, now would be a great opportunity to observe Live footage of a current osprey pair nesting in Iowa!

Click the link to a Live We**am!
https://mds.multivista.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=aPublicWe**am.page&We**amPublicPageUID=75D50EDC-7B17-482C-AB63-7EAFE7B74BA0

06/05/2026

June 5th is **World Environmental Day**

World Environment Day focuses on raising awareness about climate change and how it continues to impact our planet. In 1972, the United Nations General Assembly designated June 5th as World Environment Day. The first celebration, held in 1973 under the slogan “Only One Earth,” marked the beginning of a global effort to highlight environmental challenges and encourage action. Today, this day continues to raise awareness about the issues our planet faces, ranging from increased air pollution and wildfires to rising sea levels and melting glaciers. These signals should be prompting a stronger sense of urgency for climate action.

However, beneath the distractions, delays, and denial, another signal is emerging. As more solar panels are installed across rooftops and more forests are being restored and replanted, it reflects growing positive action and environmental progress. Every individual can make a positive impact on the environment, and those small actions contribute to larger collective change.

Simple awareness remains a key step toward creating healthier air, cleaner water, and overall better planetary health.

-Alyssa Lincon, MNR Intern

06/04/2026

Bees are a keystone environmental species which means they play a crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions and without them their environment would be dramatically altered or cease to exist altogether.

There are over 20,000 species of bees worldwide and it is responsible for pollinating roughly 80% of all flowering plants and one-third of the human diet. They transfer pollen from flower to flower, ensuring plants can reproduce which maintains the diverse plant life required by many other wildlife species.

By sustaining and pollinating vegetation and trees, bees directly help maintain the natural “air filters” of our environment!

-Alyssa Lincoln, MNR Intern

06/03/2026

June 3rd is **World Bicycle Day** 🚲

Today highlights the zero-emission, sustainable and affordable option of transportation, bicycles!

If you have the option or opportunity today to contribute decreasing emissions into the ozone and tackle climate change, reduce urban air and noise pollution and promote public health by advocating cycle-friendly infrastructure and active commuting, you should take it!

Bicycles produce no greenhouse gas emissions and directly displace the CO2 and pollutants generated by internal combustion engine vehicles.
Contribute today to help clean the air around our environment and benefit our health!

-Alyssa Lincoln, MNR Intern

06/02/2026

Amega 🦫

If you walked through a lush Iowa wetland 12,000 years ago, there would be a good chance you’d come face to face with a beaver nearly 7 feet long and weighing up to 200 pounds!

Meet the Giant Beaver (Castoroides ohioensis), a giant ice age era beaver that shared the same landscape as the great Woolly Mammoths and giant bison.

Although the giant beaver was much larger, today’s American Beaver (Castor canadensis) became one of nature's greatest ecosystem engineers.

Scientists believe there were significant differences between giant beavers and modern beavers. Giant beavers likely had a long, narrower tail, resembling a muskrat. Their incisors were shaped differently, lacking a sharp edge that allows modern beavers to gnaw on woody vegetation. Due to this, scientists believe giant beavers did not cut down trees or build dams. Although giant beavers and modern beavers existed at the same time, when climate conditions changed, and wetlands started to disappear, so did the giant beaver.

Modern beavers are known as “Ecosystem engineers” because of their dam-building activities, which create structures that ensure landscapes will adapt and recover from climate-related disturbances. These dams and wetlands heavily contribute to clean air and clean water by filtering out pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus. Their activities create habitat for fish, birds, amphibians, and countless other species.

The beaver reminds us and teaches us the importance of hard work, perseverance, adaptability, and community. It works not only for itself, but for the entire ecosystem. Through its actions, the beaver shows how one individual can make a lasting impact on the world around it!

Would you rather see a woolly mammoth, a giant bison or a giant beaver if you could visit the ice age? 🦫

-Isabela Vallejo, MNR Intern

06/01/2026

What are natural resources?

Natural resources consist of the raw materials and sources of energy found in nature that humans rely on to survive and thrive. Air, water, soil, plants, minerals and fossil fuels are all included in natural resources. The conservation practice of managing, protecting and sustainably using these resources are vital for human survival and the protection of these resources are highlighted in protection, so they are still available for present and future generations.

Here at MNR we put the tribal land deeply into consideration for preservation, restoration and monitoring to ensure the quality of the water is met to the tribal standards and to reach the goal of EPA criteria of air pollutant standards and to monitor those pollutants. The Land and Wildlife branch’s purpose is to help transition the land back to where it once was with the help of clearing invasive species and ensuring native regeneration where habitats are suitable.

Ways to help protect our natural resources:

Finding ways to protect Iowa’s natural resources relies heavily on restoring native ecosystems such as prairies and wetlands, conserving topsoil and improving the water quality.

Some ways you can directly help would be to reduce, reuse and recycle items in your home, volunteer for cleanup days in the community, educating others on this topic is vital for understanding the importance. Conserving water by fixing household leaks, shortening showers and running full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine can significantly lower utility bills as well as conserving water to protect this natural resource.

Buying less plastic and opting for the reuseable bags will always be the better option. Using energy efficient light bulbs will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Planting trees can help provide food and oxygen that helps save energy, cleaner air and can help combat climate change.

-Alyssa Lincon, MNR Intern

05/28/2026

We Need Trees

Trees are easy to overlook—but they are doing more for us than we realize.

Here on the Meskwaki Settlement, trees are part of our everyday lives. They clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and provide habitat for our wildlife. In fact, forests support nearly 80% of land-dwelling species and help supply over half of America’s drinking water.

They also take care of us in ways we can feel—cooling our environment, lowering our energy costs, and even improving our mental and physical health.

But trees aren’t just resources; they are part of our responsibility.

The Meskwaki Natural Resources Forestry Program works to care for over 3,300 acres of forest on the Settlement. Through inventory, restoration, and protection efforts, we are making sure these forests stay healthy for future generations. Between 2017 and 2020 alone, over 1,500 acres were carefully studied to better understand both mature trees and new understory growth.

We need trees—but trees also need us.

By taking care of our forests, we are continuing a relationship that has always been important to the Meskwaki people.

Take a moment today to appreciate the trees around you

-Isabela Vallejo, MNR Intern

05/18/2026

Happy American Wetland's Month!

The month of May is reserved for celebrating one of nature's most productive and diverse ecosystems- wetlands!! Wetlands provide all sorts of valuable services to plant, animal, and human communities. They're an excellent filter of pollutants like bacteria and nutrients, they help keep us safe from flooding and heavy rains, they provide habitat for countless creatures, as well as many more important jobs.

The best thing you can do for wetlands is to learn more about them and spread the word. To start, there's tons of helpful information on the EPA's website: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/may-american-wetlands-month

You can also reach out to MNR directly with any questions by messaging this account or by reaching out at 641-484-3511 (office) or 641-481-4981 (work cell).

American Wetlands Month, a time when EPA and its partners in federal, state, tribal, local, non-profit, and private sector organizations celebrate the vital importance of wetlands

05/16/2026

Indoor Air Quality Reminder

Indoor air quality matters more than you think.

The air inside your home can sometimes be more polluted than the air outside and it can impact how you feel every day.

Signs of poor indoor air:
• Headaches or fatigue
• Trouble focusing
• Coughing, sneezing, or irritating eyes
• Worsened asthma symptoms

Common causes:
• Dust and pet dander
• Mold from excess moisture
• Smoke and strong household chemicals
• Poor ventilation

Simple ways to improve your air:
• Open windows when possible
• Use fans in kitchens and bathrooms
• Change air filters regularly
• Keep humidity low to prevent mold

Clean air isn’t just an outdoor issue, it starts at home